THE UTILIZATION OF β-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID BY THE LACTATING MAMMARY GLAND

Abstract

The arteriovenous studies of Shaw and Petersen (1, 2) have demonstrated that most of the milk fat is derived from blood fat.No consideration, however, has been given to the r81e that the intermediate substance, @hydroxybutyric acid, may play in the secretion of milk.Accordingly a study of the acetone body metabolism of the gland was initiated to gain some further insight into the mechanism of the fat metabolism of the gland.That the utilization of ketone bodies by normal tissues is quite high has been shown by Marriott (3), Snapper and Griinbaum (4), Barnes, MacKay, Moe, and Escher (5), and others.It appeared possible that an actively secreting gland such as the lactating mammary gland of the cow would use acetone bodies for energy purposes if not indeed for actual synthesis, although there also remained the possibility of the production of acetone bodies as the result of fat oxidation in the gland. Methods